A conversation with Jonathan Aberman, CEO and co-founder of Hupside, at the GovAI conference in Arlington, Virginia, clarified a challenge facing both government and industry: as AI becomes ubiquitous, how do we cultivate the one thing it cannot replicate, genuine human originality?
As artificial intelligence advances, a new currency is emerging that no algorithm can produce: original human thinking. That is the thesis behind Hupside, a venture-backed startup founded by serial entrepreneur and innovation strategist Jonathan Aberman. While governments and corporations pour billions into AI, Aberman argues they often overlook the most critical component for success: the unique, non-linear, and sometimes counterintuitive insights that only people generate.
At GovAI, the energy focused on efficiency and automation. Aberman offered a counterpoint centered on people. “AI alone doesn’t transform companies; people do,” he told me. Hupside is built on that premise. The company offers a science-backed platform to measure and cultivate what he calls Original Intelligence (OI). The idea is simple and practical: in a world saturated with AI-generated patterns, the ability to break from those patterns is not just creative flair. It is a strategic imperative.
Originality as the ultimate differentiator
Original thinking creates high-differentiation ideas that AI, by design, is likely to miss. AI excels at pattern recognition and probabilistic reasoning. It is powerful for tasks tied to existing data. That strength also creates a weakness. As Aberman noted in Washington Technology, AI is a “recipe for organizational groupthink and sameness” [1].
True innovation often emerges between the data points. It comes from reframing a problem, seeing a non-obvious connection, or questioning assumptions an AI would take for granted. Think of Netflix’s pivot from DVDs to streaming, or IDEO’s iterative design process that consistently leads to category-defining products. These are not just acts of creativity. They are strategic moves that create lasting value.
Building adaptability in an unpredictable world
Originality also underpins adaptability. Today’s government challenges, from cybersecurity threats to pandemics, are complex and unpredictable. Rigid, pre-programmed responses are not only ineffective but can make things worse.
Cultivating original intelligence is like strengthening an organization’s creative capacity. It builds what Karl Weick calls “sensemaking,” the ability to navigate ambiguity and create meaning in novel situations. This is not about having every answer. It is about asking the right questions and adapting as the landscape shifts. Aberman’s goal is to train teams to operate outside their comfort zones and to thrive when data is incomplete, conflicting, or misleading [1].
Escaping the AI-typical pattern
Aberman’s most urgent point is the need to counter the statistical homogeneity that widespread AI use tends to produce. As more content and solutions are generated by AI, we risk a cognitive trap where thinking converges on the most probable, average answer.
Consider a simple prompt: “What can you do with a paper clip?” An AI might list a bookmark, zipper pull, or reset pin. A creatively inclined person might suggest a miniature antenna, a piece of jewelry, or even a lock-picking tool. Those human answers tap metaphor, context, and lived experience.
Hupside aims to measure and foster that kind of thinking. Its Hupchecker tool identifies individuals who show original intelligence, giving organizations a way to build teams that are truly AI-ready. The goal is not to hire only coders or tool operators. It is to find people who think critically alongside AI, challenge its outputs, and provide the spark of originality that leads to real breakthroughs.
A human-centered AI strategy
My conversation with Aberman at GovAI was a reminder that the future of AI is about people, not just technology. As agencies and businesses adopt AI, they should recognize that their greatest asset is the original intelligence of their workforce. Treating originality as a core competency, something to measure, cultivate, and reward, can unlock AI’s full potential and build organizations that are more resilient, adaptive, and innovative.
The challenge is clear. As Aberman concluded in his article, the organizations that thrive will be those that “offer what no AI can: the unexpected, the unpatterned and the uncopyable” [1]. That is the promise of a human-centered approach to AI, and it is a message that resonated amid the technological fervor of the GovAI summit.
References
[1] Aberman, J. (2025, August 14). Original Intelligence: the consulting industry’s last and best advantage. Washington Technology. Retrieved from https://www.washingtontechnology.com/opinion/2025/08/original-intelligence-consulting-industrys-last-and-best-advantage/407452/